Man fell foul of new drug restrictions

A young man bought a legal drug and then found himself on the wrong side of the law three days after it had been made illegal, a court heard.

Lincoln magistrates were told that Daniel Shane Dimaio was found in possession of mephedrone after he had been arrested for having cannabis.

Marie Stace, prosecuting, said police were called to Waddington and saw two cars parked by the library. Both cars were searched and police found a small amount of cannabis on Dimaio.

“He then ran off but was stopped in Far Lane. A second plastic bag with green substance was found to be cannabis,” she said.

“He was taken to the police station and whilst in the bathroom, under supervision, he shook his leg and a small tin fell to the floor. It was half full of white powder.

“The defendant said it was mephedrone and he bought it from a shop in Lincoln two or three weeks earlier but he did not realise that it had become illegal in the days before his arrest and it was now a controlled drug.”

Dimaio (20) of Broadway, Bracebridge Heath, admitted possession of cannabis on April 19 and possession of mephedrone on April 20.

Dale Brownless, representing, said Dimaio did not seek to prevaricate and volunteered what the drugs were to police. He said the mephedrone was legal when he bought it but became illegal whilst in his possession.

Magistrates fined him £65 and ordered him to pay costs of £60, and a victim surcharge of £15.